Bye Bye OTWA: Oldest OAI Forum to Shut Down July 31st

[ginger]

Interesting.  I was just browsing around OTWA and found this -

There we're some issues with the google ads, I removed the ads from the main pages but those smaller ads within the hosted forums require individual edits, rather than a databse edit. So, I left them until I finish working out the problem.

-Jim

Also seems that the boards were "cleaned up" as the "daily google" in the 300 seconds threads are gone and the "click on the google ads" posts are gone (such as the one I linked in this thread).

Hmm...seems that Jim got his google account suspended?

[thentavius]

OTWA has released a new membership fee chart:

http://www.otwa.com/community/showthread.php?t=32691

New Membership Levels... (coming soon)


I've run the numbers, did the math, the projections, etc. After careful evaluation and analysis, here's what we're looking at..

Personal Membership:

Quarterly (3 months) : $7.50 (2.50 per month)
Annually (12 months) : $24.00 (2.00 per month)



SoHo Membership:

Quarterly (3 months) : $15.00 (5.00 per month)
Annually (12 months) : $48.00 (4.00 per month)



Business Membership:

Quarterly (3 months) : $22.50 (7.50 per month)
Annually (12 months) : $72.00 (6.00 per month)



Corporate Membership:

Annually (12 months) : $96.00 ( 8.00 per month)


Each level will have its own set of benefits designed specifically for that level. Things such as extra resources and content, exclusive special discounts from Third Party Providers, etc...

We will be opening communication channels to major players in the industry, and bringing in more and more industry leaders to participate in the community like we did with the new Shipping, Packing, and Insurance forum.

Additionally, we will continue to maintain a way for members and non-members alike to donate funds that will go into a special fund specifically to site infrastructure, content development, etc.

This is just the beginning. You've stepped up to the plate and convinced me to keep OTWA open, and I've made the commitment, now it's time to make OTWA even better. I intend to reevaluate and implement quite a few programs/plans that were placed on the back-burner long ago.

So please bear with me, some things will move slow, others will move fast, but in the end, we all gain.

-Jim

[bargainbloodhound]

Hmm...seems that Jim got his google account suspended?

I don't think so because small google ads are still appearing on the specialty forums (like books, etc).  When Adsense bans an account they also stop ad delivery.  It does look like he's using  adserver software now, and so it could just be that he's having trouble getting the adsense code to work with the software.

New Membership Levels... (coming soon)

Yeah, I saw that.  One thing I don't like (besides the whole  we're closing/next day we're not closing ploy) is the new policy of allowing OAI companies to sponsor and moderate individual forums (the 1st is UPIC moderating the shipping forum).  Sponsorship would be fine if it was limited to a banner, etc, but the moderation part is asking for trouble.  I think this will really cut down on the ability of people (like me) to complain,  If Marketworks was moderating an Auction Management forum I doubt that they would allow topics like: "Today's Reason's Why Marketworks Sucks!!!!!"  :twistedevil:

[thentavius]

You're absolutely right. It seems that allowing paid corporate involvement could cause troubles within the company's own special forum AND elsewhere on the site.

Imagine if Marketworks didn't like something that was said about them in the non-Marketworks area (i.e., an area not moderated by them)--they can still cause issues because they'll be able to cry out, "we're paying for corporate membership! Silence that poster!" Moderation could reach beyond their designated areas (and most likely will affect the entire board).

One of the most valuable things I find about boards is the free discussion of venues, products, and services which can occur OUTSIDE the venodr, product, or service. Being able to discuss a widget or company's true self is of the highest importance to me, and probably to many other board members.

I suspect Jim is going to have a problem on his hands, if he is not really careful about how he allows the corproate membership(s) to work. Personally, I wouldn't allow the corproate forums at all.

One thing I've always liked about the OTWA affiliation procedures is that it tends to limit what we saw over at FAS (the unending advertisement of businesses with no intention of engaging in real conversation), as well as limiting the number of plants who pop in to discuss how great a site or service is. I guess they are still going to keep the affiliation procedures intact, but this whole corproate pay thing is weird.

As for the personal sponsorship / membership options--I do know that they are still allowing members to join up and post for free. The paid memberships are replacing the old O! supporting member system.